Do All Great Minds Think Alike?
By Caroline Wyman

Some students learn with ease and find it simple to retain information--and want everyone to know how smart they are. Others quietly persist, learning new skills and being open to new ideas. As a result, we are always on the lookout for new techniques we can use to teach a diverse class of children how to learn.

How can a good teacher balance these learning styles? Carol Dweck, professor of psychology and author of the book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, has been researching the reasons why students achieve differently. Dweck, whose study focuses on intelligence, points to the difference between fixed mindset and growth mindset.

According to Dweck, a person's self-theory about intelligence has a profound influence on his or her motivation to learn.

• Students with a fixed mindset are concerned mainly with how smart they appear-they prefer tasks they've already mastered, avoiding mistakes, and shying away from the possibility of not being perceived as the "smart kid" in the class


• In contrast, students with a growth or expandable mindset challenge themselves to expand their abilities, even if they fail at first

Recognizing the Fixed Mindset
Many teachers struggle to guide students into taking risks, achieving more than just what comes naturally to them, and feeling comfortable making mistakes.

One reason for this struggle could be that some students understandably view all criticism as negative. They do not see criticism as part of the learning process. They believe that there's only one right answer. They might even think the teacher "has it in for them," not realizing that criticism can be a positive learning tool. With this mindset, they are not necessarily learning all that they could.

Dweck specifically addresses this type of student in a Standford magazine article.

"Students for whom performance is paramount want to look smart even if it means not learning a thing in the process. For them, each task is a challenge to their self-image, and each setback becomes a personal threat. So they pursue only activities at which they're sure to shine-and avoid the sorts of experiences necessary to grow and flourish in any endeavor."

So maybe "thinking outside the box" isn't so easy for everyone after all. And this may be the case for student and teacher alike. While students may possess one specific learning style coming into the classroom, some teachers may believe that students will always maintain that style-and that they are unable to affect a change.

Recognizing the Growth Mindset
Conversely, some students take necessary risks and don't worry about failure because each mistake becomes a chance to learn. These students possess the growth mindset.

In a classroom setting, what types of behaviors distinguish these students from the students with a fixed mindset?

• They may not readily raise their hands to answer a question because there's a good chance they're jotting down other ways to solve a problem


• They recognize that many questions can have more than one answer


• They believe they can learn from their mistakes


• They don't give up if their answer is incorrect, but see the situation as a challenge to succeed in another way

Reconciling Different Learning Styles
One of the important takeaways we can gain from Dweck's work is that we shouldn't praise children just for their innate intelligence. We should also praise them for the process they use to complete their work. For example, "That homework was so long and involved. I really admire the way you concentrated on your work and finished the assignment."

We can sometimes be swayed by those who can come up with the right answer first. And then we assign the "smart" label to those children. Instead, let's start encouraging everyone, regardless of learning style, to feel comfortable giving a wrong answer and using each of these times as an opportunity to learn new things, new ways of thinking. It can all start with us.

An Additional Thought
There is one last issue to consider when teaching your child, either as a teacher or as a parent.

Never stop praising children for their inherent goodness. It's important for children to know that they are innately good and that they are loved unconditionally, Dweck says.

"The problem arises when parents praise children in a way that makes them feel that they're good and love-worthy only when they behave in particular ways that please the parents."

Do all great minds think alike? Try incorporating Dweck's theories into your classroom. You will probably find that the answer is, "No."

Caroline Wyman has a degree in Sociology and a Masters in Elementary Education and is the administrator for TeacherNet.com.